Industry 4.0 offers numerous opportunities to use technological developments to better protect the environment as well. This also applies to the Mewa Group, which has always been committed to resource conservation.
Amersfoort, September 2022 - Progress is unstoppable and in some sectors is accelerating impressively. Artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, robotics, additive manufacturing, the Internet of Things and self-driving vehicles are just some of the drivers of the fourth industrial revolution. These will change the structure of many economic sectors. But those radical changes must also be sustainable if they are to be consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals goals of the 2030 Agenda. The topic of sustainability is a relatively new concept for many companies. For the Mewa Group, it is not, as it has been offering a textile service system based on the principle of reuse according to the circular economy concept since 1908. Mewa textile sharing was a groundbreaking idea at the time and now fits completely into the current zeitgeist.
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The Mewa textile sharing concept is sustainable in itself: reusing textiles reduces the impact on the environment. By using reusable cleaning cloths instead of disposable ones, you also produce less waste. However, sustainability and resource conservation are characteristic of all components of the entire Mewa service system.
The Mewa washing process filters the water from the washing and rinsing process, treats that water and reuses it in different stages of the washing process. That closed loop system, called cascade technology, reduces water consumption by up to 50 % compared to conventional systems. Moreover, thanks to our own special water treatment plant, we achieve a purity of 99.8 %. Biodegradable detergents are used in the washing systems. We dose these according to the amount of textile to be washed. Compared to conventional systems, this means a reduction in environmental impact of as much as 85 %. So in terms of water protection, Mewa goes far beyond legal requirements and industry standards.
Plant efficiency. All Mewa plants are equipped with particularly innovative technologies. By thermally recycling the dirt from washed cleaning cloths, Mewa meets up to 80 % of the energy requirements for its washing and drying plants, saving several million liters of heating oil annually. In addition, they developed a special multiphase drying system that is much more efficient than conventional dryers.
Production processes. Here, too, the reuse principle applies: sustainability is key. Mewa recently launched its PEAK workwear collection: the polyester yarns used are partially made from recycled PET water bottles. In the production of cleaning cloths, we collect and reuse the lint waste as insulation material for the automotive industry.
Transportation and logistics. To minimize its environmental impact, Mewa uses a fleet of the latest and most environmentally friendly vehicles and delivery routes to customers are carefully planned to optimize consumption and emissions. In Switzerland, the industry's first hydrogen-powered truck was introduced last year, and soon our customers in Berlin and Hamburg will be supplied entirely electrically, including with a Cargo-eBike.
Packaging. The reuse principle also applies to packaging. For the transport and storage of work clothing, we use washable textile bags, which guarantee the hygiene of the clothing. For cleaning cloths, we use the SaCon safety container, which meets the international requirements of the ADR (the Agreement for the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road) for the transport of dangerous goods by road. That container is also reusable.
Thanks to its convinced environmental orientation, Mewa guarantees an environmentally friendly service system and a focus on sustainability. This also indirectly benefits the customer, who no longer has to worry about the ecological aspects of textile management.
Mewa has already received numerous international awards for its commitment to sustainability. One of the most recent is the Italian award in 2021 "Best Performer of the Circular Economy" from industry association Confindustria. In 2022, Mewa received an award for its commitment to sustainability from the Cologne rating and classification agency ServiceValue, which conducted a survey of German consumers in cooperation with DEUTSCHLAND TEST.